Walk 1 Walk 2 OLD WORLD CHARM ,Woods and The Waggonway Walk SSSHHHIIINNNCCCLLLIIIFFFFFFEEE a Racecourse Start: The Seven Stars Start: The Seven Stars Length: 2 miles s Length: 3 miles Duration: 11⁄2 hours lkks Duration: 2 hours aal Follow WALK 1 through the village and Hall Lane WW Shincliffe Village is an example of a ‘roadside village’ to arrowed path on the L at the brow of the rise with narrow greens bordering the roadway . At before Shincliffe Hall. The path rises steeply each end of the street the view out is ‘stopped’ through the wood, goes round a field and passes giving the village the appearance of being enclosed. through West Grange Farm to join Strawberry Lane. Turn L and in a quarter of a mile cross the Take the path down the street. The Church A , A177, pass through the lay-by and arrive at the behind the Rectory on the R was built in the ‘Early mapboard at the beginning of High Street. English’ style. Adjacent to the Church Hall is Forge Cottage reminding us of the days when blacksmiths High Shincliffe had its origins as a settlement with provided an essential service. the sinking of the colliery in 1837. Follow the path along High Street and turn L after No .9a. On the L At the bend in the road turn L into Hall Lane. is Shincliffe Primary School built in 1968 on the site Opposite the Garden Centre were four rows of of the colliery D . Turn first L into Meldon Way, miners’ cottages which were demolished after the and from here the walk follows the route of the closure of Houghall Pit in the 1880s. Continue to old waggonway from the mine. Shincliffe Hall B which was built around 1781 by William Rudd, Recorder of Durham. Keep to the L hand path through the houses. Cross the road. On the R is the old pit heap E , now Shincliffe Wood is mixed woodland and provides a covered with heather, birch, hawthorn and briar. habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. From the Here too, on each side of the track, were the kilns woods are good views across the river to Houghall of the brick works which used clay from the mine. and along the wooded escarpment. Climb the hill The waggonway linked up with the Shincliffe to to High Butterby Farm and turn L here onto the Sunderland Railway. tarmac lane. In approx. a quarter of a mile turn L into Strawberry Lane. Just beyond the pit heap turn L and Strawberry Lane crosses the site of Shincliffe cross the stile. Racecourse C . The Racecourse opened in May The field walk 1895 and closed with the advent of the 1st World passes above the War. When it re-opened in 1918 it failed to draw old Shincliffe the crowds. School of 1866 Where the grassy track of Strawberry Lane meets and joins the main The five walks described in this leaflet will take the tarmac road, turn L to West Grange Farm and A177 road above visitors through delightful countryside with extensive follow the path through Shincliffe Wood to Hall the Seven Stars. views, rich with wildlife and historical association. Lane and return to the village. Walk 3 Walk 4 Walk 5 Schools, Collieries and Lepers Railway, Watermill and Woodland Walking the Bounds Start: Mapboard, High Shincliffe (park in the lay-by) Start: The Seven Stars Start: The Seven Stars Length: 31⁄4 miles Length: 2 miles Length: 51⁄2 miles Duration: 21⁄2 hours Duration: 11⁄2 hours Duration: 41⁄2 hours Passing the former Post Office, turn L into Cross the A177 road and turn up hill. Beyond the Follow WALK 1 to High Butterby. Continue along Heathways and follow the road. After the sharp R last cottage turn L crossing the stile. Keeping the the tarmac lane, passing South Grange, and then at hand bend there are two cottages on the L which hedg e/fence on your L continue straight ahead. It the A177 the roadside path towards Bowburn. F were the first Shincliffe School built in 1841 . can be muddy. Cross the stream on the L. Aim for Turn L at the garage into Tail upon End Lane. Continue to the old waggonway and turn L. At the the highest point where the views make the climb end of the old pit heap turn R following the field In half a mile turn L into the bridle path to worthwhile. path to cross Whitwell Beck Bridge. Cross the field, Whitwell Farm South. Follow path to footbridge keeping slightly R and go under the railway built in Bear R into the valley following traces of a cart over A1(M) and past Whitwell House Farm. After 1844 by the N.E. Railway Co., the first to link the track to a stile into Sandy Cut Wood. Turn R along about a quarter of a mile turn right over a stile and capital cities of London and Edinburgh. Follow the path through the field towards the A1(M). Cross the former railway track - the first to serve continue to Byers Garth farm on A181 Hartlepool the footbridge, pass Whitwell House Farm and Durham City and the local collieries - to the A181 road. Turn L here and take roadside path to continue down the lane. In a quarter of a mile the Hartlepool road which you should cross. Turn R Sherburn Hospital. Then follow WALK 3 and road passes through the site of Whitwell Village and and continue along the road crossing the WALK 4 to Shincliffe Village. the arrowed gate on the R leads to the site of motorway to the marked footpath on the L. Cross Whitwell Colliery opened in 1836 G . the stile into the wood. In approx. 100 yards the Stay on the lane and continue past Whitwell path forks. The path to the R leads to Sherburn Please Remember Junction and Whitwell Grange to the A181 Hospital and returns via Sherburn Beck. (See THE COUNTRY CODE Hartlepool road. Cross the road and follow WALK 3) Shincliffe Lane to Sherburn Hospital H . Founded Parts of these paths could be wet and muddy. in 11 84 for the care of lepers, it now provides The L fork is a permissive path along the old It is always advisable to wear appropriate clothing residential accommodation for elderly people. Turn railway embankment. At the end of this path turn L and footwear. left passing the Hospital on the R. and follow the path downhill to Sherburn Beck and In the dip in the road take the marked footpath on continue to the motorway. After the tunnel turn L Shincliffe lies 2 miles to the South East of the L. Note the mediaeval bridge I over the and return to the stream. Bear R following the Durham City on the A177 Durha m- Bowburn road. stream. In 100 yards climb to the old railway stream to its confluence with Whitwell Beck. embankment and turn left up 2 steps onto the Refreshments may be obtained at the pubs in permissive path through the plantation. Continue These streams once powered Shincliffe Mill J , High Shincliffe and Shincliffe Village. to the A181 Hartlepool road. Turn R and follow now the site of the Nursery Garden. Cross the the roadside path across the A1(M). Cross the road footbridge and continue to the main road. Turn R This leaflet is produced by to take the track leading up the old waggonway to and in approx. 200 yards cross the main road to SHINCLIFFE PARISH COUNCIL Manor House Farm. join the path in Sandy Cut. Turn R and walk H PA IS T Here was sited the stationary engine which through the cutting dug by hand in the 1880s. Turn R H A S probably hauled the coal waggons from the pit and L at the end of the cut. At the main road (A177) P where a brakeman controlled their descent to the P A P cross to path through the Churchyard and then I main line. R turn L to return to the Seven Stars. T S H Continue along the waggonway to the road and N ER return to the lay-by. Illustrations by Michael Lowes The Parish of Shincliffe Shincliffe Parish Council The Parish of Shincliffe was created in 1831 from has been actively involved in maintaining that of St. Oswald’s in Durham. With the sinking of and way-marking rights of way in the the colliery in the late 1830s there evolved two Parish. The walks shown are clearly main communities; the old village of Shincliffe with marked and will be seen to inter-connect; its agricultural associations and Shincliffe Colliery. they may be modified or extended Today Shincliffe Village nestles quietly among its beyond the bounds of the Parish. wooded hills bordering the River Wear while the more recently developed High Shincliffe spreads The Old Shincliffe Mill itself beyond the confines of the old colliery village with its distant views of the Cathedral City to the west and the magnesian limestone escarpment in the east. On the eastern boundary of the Parish is Sherburn House with its 12th century hospital. Sherburn Hospital Silver Birch Key to map Walk 1 Bridle Path Walk 2 Other Paths Grey Heron Walk 3 Motorway Walk 4 Railway Walk 5 Roads Scale: 6 inches to 1 mile St. Mary’s Church © Crown Copyright and database right 2012. Ordnance Survey LA 100049055 Walk 4 Railway, Watermill and Woodland Walk 3 Schools, Collieries and Lepers This walk is notable for its views westward, the original High Shincliffe with the old Parochial School built in 1841, track of the Shincliffe to Sunderland railway almost the pit heap (now a wildlife habitat), the waggonway from hidden in broadleafed woodland, and the remains of the colliery to the main line, the sites of Whitwell Village and Shincliffe Mill.